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[Ron Rees]

Hi Kim,
What a great read, just done all 8 pages. Send me your H/A via PM, I have a small pressie for you, may suit the new masterpiece.
 
Cheers......Ron  (Or email me it)

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Thanks, Netleyned,
Are you watching on Marine Traffic?
Kim

[Netleyned]

Vessel Finder I use.


Ned

[furball]

Hi Kim.


Will you be bringing the model with you when you do your talk at Chatham on Saturday?


Cheers


Lance

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Lance,
I wasn't going to, but it's a good idea [seeing as it is the same lifeboat!] and I will be coming with the 'large' vehicle, so can 'pop it in', along with the internal drive electrics board and my photo display. Good job someone is awake!
Have you still got the 52-02 Arun plans? If so could you bring those and I can copy them and get them back to you - that would be helpful.
Look forward to seeing you Saturday.
Kim

[furball]

I'll dig them out.


Cheers


Lance

[Canterbury Coxswain]

17-09 gave me a superb set of some 64 photos he took at Dover last Friday, burnt onto a CD. I have tweaked a few and put them into an order of a 'walk around'. They really are good and have shots of areas that I have not got covered on my 1,200+ photos of the Shannon, mainly as some of them are taken from above the lifeboat when he was on the quayside, this shows plates that items are bolted to, connecting wires for earthing electrical items, new 'colour' for certain items when painting and the general layout from above to compliment the RNLI plans. I attach a few here to whet your appetites. They really are taken with the modeller [that he is!] in mind.
They will be included in the sets of photos on my Shannon lifeboat DVD, however, if you have already purchased one of these - and there are an awful lot of you out there - I will send you a CD with these 64 photos [and a short video clip of the stern area with the engines ticking over and the starboard reversing bucket making a small movement] if you send me three Royal Mail 1st Class stamps on their wax backing sheet. I will put £1 in the RNLI 'bucket' for Dungeness and burn and get the CD off to you, along with a Shannon postcard. If you want just a single postcard, send me two 2nd class stamps and your address and I will send one.
Lastly, I have been sourcing items for the model, when I get a few moments in the next couple of days I will photograph them and give the sources. I then hope to start building a few items of deck furniture before I look at fitting the water-jets.
13-16 over-nighted at Lowestoft on Saturday evening and then went up to Hull where she over-nighted Sunday evening - all courtesy of Mrs. B and her Marine Traffic app.
C.C.

[17-09]

She is flying the flag of Northumbria alongside the RNLI house flag, visible in some of the photos. Just thought I would mention that..
 17-09

[kinmel]

I will send you a CD with these 64 photos [and a short video clip of the stern area with the engines ticking over and the starboard reversing bucket making a small movement] if you send me three Royal Mail 1st Class stamps on their wax backing sheet. I will put £1 in the RNLI 'bucket' for Dungeness and burn and get the CD off to you, along with a Shannon postcard. If you want just a single postcard, send me two 2nd class stamps and your address and I will send one.

I have just received my copy of these excellent photos, if you are building a Shannon you need to add this set to your collection

Thanks for the fast service Kim, your continuing help is much appreciated

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Alan [KInmel], glad they arrived and are of interest. Dear old 17-09 [also an Alan], even being a 17 metre Severn man tries his hardest for us 13 and 14 metre men!! They are interesting and help to explain some other little areas of the beautiful Shannon.
Last night 13-16 seemed to still be at Hull 'marina'. Is she there for a clean down or service before going on station? 17-09 did tell me from information gleaned at Dover RNLS that the Shannons were going to be delivered to station and then be issued with a polishing kit, where the final 'shine' would be put on the boat. Now to us modellers, does that mean a full gloss finish, a gloss with a smidge of satin added, satin, or a flat matt with a spoon of gloss added? The mind boggles - so much fun and decisions in this modelling game. Some folk think it is a cinch!
A couple more observations on the 'Dover' photos:

• the stem head roller [stainless steel finish] is not fully locked down on the starboard side, so hence is slightly 'cocked'.
• The front rubber down the bow of the hull is fully rounded and has no channel running down it to accommodate the recovery strops.
• The rear deck [stern] engine room hatch cover has fully blackened access handle points at each corner, and unlike my 13-02 there is no inner ring of flat head domed cheese-head bolts [this observation and point had already been made earlier by Mk1 [John]].

C.C.

[Charlie]

Hi Kim,
I heard that 13-16 has an Engine problem, and needs to go back to Poole for repairs. In other Shannon news, have you seen this?
http://www.westbriton.co.uk/watch-the-dramatic-moment-st-ives-rnli-lifeboat-breaks-free-and-plunges-off-the-slipway/story-29796836-detail/story.html

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Wow Charlie,
Thanks for those two Shannon related bits of news, now we are up to date.
Are you venturing up to the 'Warwick' show next month? Also, is your US Coast Guard model progressing?
When I get back from the IMBS you must come over for a chat in the workshop.
Regards and thanks for the updates,
Kim

[Charlie]

I'm planning to attend Warwick on the Friday. Not much progress to report on the Coastguard boat, hopefully i can make some progress this weekend.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Great Charlie, I should not be far from the LBES stand - I owe you a drink, remember the Cygnets MBC Regatta and my omission of a model?!!
The enquiry into your model was only an interest and not a 'gee-up'; you know the number of shows I attend during the year and you might be pleasantly surprised by the number of people that speak very highly of your US Coast Guard cutter build [even members of the 'trade'!]. As and when, we know there are other things in life and they have to be prioritised.
Final question, are you at Chatham LBES Meeting tomorrow? I hear they have a rather good guest speaker!! [only joking - well not really!].
Regards,
Kim

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Well, like a lot of us life has been very busy with no real model [Shannon class] building taking place - gardening [that time of year], RNLI talks, Choral Society marketing matters and rehearsals. However, the model has not 'stalled', because when I have sat down to watch some sport on the old rectangular screen or even a thriller to relax at the end of the day, during any commercial breaks or boring bits I have sourced on the 'w.w.w.' and found parts required for the lifeboat model, then researched and ordered those bits. So here is a synopsis of my efforts, passing on some sites that you might want to visit for your Shannon or other project.

• Firstly, I have bought some aluminium sheet and tube to start making the staghorn bollards for the fore and stern deck areas. In this instance I supported a 'local' shop - Ramsgate models - and Mac had the right bits on the K&S imperial measurements display. However, later that day he was expecting the new display for his metric brass and aluminium stock, this time from Albion Alloys. If possible it is always better to support your local shop! I have to say Mac is always glad to see 17-09 and myself and sometimes 'rounds down' the cost - a real diamond geezer!
• Then I ordered some new Turnigy full alloy cased servos with a good torque rating to control my trim planes [tabs]. These are those types that are used by the aircraft fraternity in their wings, so are slim and can be used side on and slide neatly into the stern of the hull. They are machined from billet aluminium. Not cheap, but they have a job to do. They code is TGY-A55H and I got them from the European Warehouse of HobbyKing. I also tried to order two of the large ones that I already had [TGY 959] - also solid alloy cases -but they are on back order. Both of these servo types are digital, coreless, with dual ball bearings and metal gears.
• Then the receiver was supplied by my friend who I bought my Futaba FX20 2.4Ghz from. It is the 14 channel R6014FS.
• From Component-Shop I got a little worm drive brushed motor driven rotational unit to hopefully drive the radar scanner.
• Also from them I acquired [paid for!] a very small voltage reducer unit. I have yet to try it out to see if it will work on a single cell 3.7v LiPo battery - it states that it operates from 4. Input is from 4.75v to 23v, whilst output is 1.0v to 17v adjustable. Iain awaits my test results. This could be useful for powering the internal and external lighting LEDs or even getting the right rotational speed on the radar scanner - 26rpm.
• Next up was miniature bolts and bolt heads. My first port of call is always Tuner Model Manufactory. They are a USA company, but I get mine through a Singapore source, where they work out slightly cheaper that direct from the USA. The great thing about the bolt heads [cross head, flat head, allen head with or without washers [flanges]] is that they come on waxed adhesive sheets with no joining sprue - so you can remove each head carefully on the end of a blade and glue it straight into position.
• Also from the same manufacturer I purchased some more 'simulated' corrugated duct lengths. This one coded here is ideal for 1/12th scale. It goes on the inside of the telecommunication tower arms and in real life is zip tied to them. A word of warning, the material does not have a 'memory', so if you stretch it it remains stretched! However, handled carefully it is fine. the good thing is that it does have a hole running through it, so very small wires can be threaded through.
• Again from Tuner Model Manufactory comes their metalic braided wire - at different diametres. It cannot be seen so good here as my photos have had to be re-sized down for the Forum, but believe me - they are very good. They also contain a 'stiffener' runiing through it, but I have removed this in a test piece and run a thin Bowden cable through and it works. All of this manufacturers products are primarily for the model car enthusiast [a former life of mine] where engine detil upgrades are needed for the model.
• www.prime-miniatures.co.uk are another company that produce a good selection of bolts, washers and nuts in the scales and sizes we want.
• Scale Hardware do a lot of bolts, nuts and washers too - here is a small selection I have - their website will keep you online for ages.
• Likewise Modelfixings.co.uk. their pages are a god-send. I educated myself on grub screws. There is a 'point end', a 'point cup end' and a 'dog point end'. The latter are for use with brushless motors that have a flat ground on to the drive end of the shaft, meaning you get an exact flat to flat surface of your coupling location point onto the flat of the shaft! For those sorts of loads a really good idea to invest in.

Therre you have it. I have not been doing nothing, just utilising some late night time to acquire what I will need later. The great thing is most are relatively small amounts [financially] when bought in small quantities, so can therefore be charged to house-keeping without being noticed - leaving the larger items to come out of the 'modelling fund'!!
C.C.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Here are the balance of photos that support my last Post. I hope they are a useful source.
C.C.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Sorry, seemed I left off the Prime-Miniatures photo.
If there is a 'bowing' in a few of the close-up shots that is because the 22m lens has slightly distorted the image at this distance.
C.C.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

After my illustrated talk on the 'Luanch and Recovery of the Dungeness Shannon class Lifeboat' for the LBES at the Chatham Historic Dockyard last Saturday, I popped in to the Dockyard Model Shop as I saw the lights were still on. Thankfully Rob was there and we had a long talk. He's back at work, but not totally back to full 'strength' yet - Rob we wish that happens very soon. However, he did say he was now going to be open Wednesday through to Sunday and take Monday and Tuesday off. He had plenty of stock in and I finally tracked down some CNA glue accelerator, something two other well known model shops in Kent do not stock! I also bought a few other little items and told Rob that I would put this on my 'thread' to encourage folk back and visit him - you do not have to pay an entry fee to get in. Just state your reason and make your way to the shop at the rear of the Smithery. Good news all round.
Kim - C.C.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Still clearing up the dis-organised mess in the workshop  - so time consuming, but hope to get back to the Shannon build either Saturday or Sunday this weekend. However, on tidying up today I came across the attached three sizes of braided wire [for pseudo hydraulic cables or shrouding a working Bowden cable function - say trim tabs / planes]. Each are 1 metre long and the sizes are 3mm, 2mm and 1.2mm. Very useful and they now reside in a box with the Tuner Manufactory ones above. These come from www.prime-miniatures. I have no connection with any of the above companies, just passing on items obtained for the model.
Canterbury Coxswain.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Got into the workshop Saturday, hoping to make the staghorn bollards for the stern deck.

• Firstly, re-affirmed the positioning of the deck plates that take each unit and then cut out two plates in 1/64th" aluminium, using the RNLI plans for measurements.
• Using Gorilla glue [fixes most things to each other and is fully waterproof, however, states it expands 3 to 4 times the thickness applied - glue on one surface and a misting of water on the other. 1-2 hours to fix / cure] fitted them to the deck and put an engineers' parallel on each to 'push down' - recommended.
• Trimmed off the excess glue on the Port side - starboard side was clean.
• Then started to cut the circular 'uprights' having measured angle using an adjustable gauge. As I was using 1/4" aluminium tube this was not fully successful, so will re-make when I find my 1/4" solid rod aluminium. Called it a day.
• On Sunday I decided I would tidy up the external water-jet surround plates supplied by MbD. Using a flat chisel blade cut off the curve where each milling action started and left a curve where there needed to be a straight edge.
• Then using the Proxxon finger sander [knew I would find a use for it one day!!] smoothed off the flat surfaces around the edge where there were milling patterns [this process of milling has to be done slowly at the production stage, otherwise the plastic will melt and clog the end mill bit].
• This done I then measured out the hexagonal bolt holes and drilled using a pin vice and a 0.5mm drill. I inserted 1.5mm hexagonal plastic bolt heads from the USA company Grandt Line [they make 'O' gauge model railway parts].
• I then spent an hour looking for a 0.05" Allen key / driver! This was so I could undo the plates that I had screwed together from the KMB water-jet package. In the end I gave up, but later remembered a boxed set of Allan keys I had inherited some years back and did the job. By now I had had enough!

Some [slow] progress was made and I ordered some M2x10mm countersunk stainless steel [blackened] screws from www.accu.co.uk - not cheap, but what I want to complete the external screwing and 'blend' with the other mechanics around this area.
Maybe later today [Monday] I will go back to making the base plates for the actual staghorn bollards.
In one of the latter photos you might observe the little circular 'tidy'. It is from Sphere Products and is laser cut MDF. It is meant to be a paint brush tidy for modellers, however, it is a superb little tidy for files, scalpels and small scissors - inexpensive and I shall be purchasing another couple to keep things tidy around the work area.
Canterbury Coxswain

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Sunday's photographs to back up the text above. In photo P1210630 you can just make out the milling on the left plate and the sanded smoother version on the right hand one.
C.C.

[Delboy1958]

Hi Kim
Nice to see you back on the Shannon build still watching 

Del

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Derek, great to see you are still watching my slow build!
However, talking to Andy [Model by Design] today he told me to watch a 47second clip on YouTube posted by Alan Guest [on the 5th of October] of an MbD model purchased at the Ellesmere Port Show - wow some fast build!! It looks great and is powered by the KMB water-jets and has a fair turn of speed. It would be good to have some more details on her, she is based on the Shannon 'RNLB Nora Stachura' 13-11, based at St. Ives. Put in your search 'Shannon Model Lifeboat on YouTube' and it comes up - sorry tried to copy the URL address etc.,. etc.,. and failed!! Can anyone say where this lovely setting and pond is? This will be another encouragement to get those water-jets in, but I think the way the days seem to be rushing by that it will have to be after the 'Warwick' Show now. A great clip though and with crew on board.
Kim

[kinmel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxVpYWLph_Q

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Alan,
Many thanks for your help; you have succeeded where I failed.............. You will have to send me a PM, when you have a moment, to remind me what I should have done. You have made it so much easier for the Shannon crew!
Cheers,
Kim